MINCE pies are a Christmas staple… so are new takes on the classic worth buying?
This year, supermarkets have updated the humble mince pie with new flavours and pastry styles.
Reporter Rosie Taylor tried five alternative mince pies from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Lidl to find out which are tasty treats – and which to avoid.
In this Morrisons variation on the classic mince pie, the pastry lid has been replaced with a layer of frangipane: a soft, almond-flavoured sponge.
The alternative topping was delicious but unfortunately the pies were low on mincemeat – there was only a thin layer at the bottom.
It meant overall the pies were dry and lacking in Christmas cheer.
Asda’s mince pie variation didn’t have any kind of pastry top, so were more like little tarts than pies.
These had a very strong citrus taste and a sickly sweet fig scent – the overall effect was a bit like eating a scented Christmas candle.
But they did have a warming boozy aftertaste.
These could be fun as something a bit different to regular mince pies, especially if you’re not a fan of pastry.
These mince pies had a crumble topping and biscuit base instead of the traditional pastry, and were supposed to be flavoured with salted caramel.
I was surprised to find they actually had a strong lemon flavour, as this ingredient wasn’t made clear on the box.
There was only a very subtle hint of caramel – I’m not sure I would have known it was there if I hadn’t been told.
The pies were nice but didn’t match their description.
It was also disappointing that the mincemeat wasn’t evenly spread, so some areas were just dry biscuit with no filling.
The alternative mince pies from Tesco had an overwhelming chemical alcohol taste.
The pastry was crisp, had a shortbread flavour to it and held together well but because there was not much filling, the pie overall was too dry.
Tesco’s regular mince pies are less than half the price – and a more enjoyable experience.
These mince “tarts” from Sainbury’s had a crunchy biscuit topping and orange-based mincemeat filling.
They were nicely moist with a warming booze taste – although it wasn’t obvious this was cognac, which is apparently one of the ingredients.
These were really citrussy from all the fruit which made them quite bitter, like marmalade.
An interesting alternative to regular mince pies – if you like bitter tastes.
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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